Waking Up In Vegas
by Dolphingirl32173
Summary: AU In a world where the supernatural aspect is known and accepted, Elena Gilbert has always longed to be a vampire but has never met one who would be willing to turn her. But while celebrating her twenty-first birthday in style in Vegas, she has a little too much to drink. She wakes up the next morning married to a certain blue-eyed vampire. What the hell? Damon/Elena
1. Twenty-One and Still Human

Waking Up in Vegas  
DG32173

Sarah: I had this idea when listening to Carrie Underwood's _"Last Name"_ and Katy Perry's _"Waking Up in Vegas"._ I just had to get it down. Enjoy.

_**CREDIT**_  
Credit goes to my beta _crzykittyfangirl_ for helping me making my work the best it can be. Thanks so much.

_**DISCLAIMER**_  
I only own what I write. If there is something inspired by my beta or a reviewer, I will do a credit section like the above and give credit for the idea to who inspired it. If it belongs to me as it is portrayed, I will claim it before the chapter it appears in. If neither of the above apply, then assume that it's probably owned by someone else with a bigger bank account than me.

_**ALTERNATE UNIVERSE! PLEASE READ FOR BACKGROUND!**_  
In this story, Katherine and the tomb vampires really did die in the church fire. The whole world knows about the supernatural and has accepted, rather reluctantly, that they are never going away, no matter _how_ many are killed. Also, Elena never went to that fateful party with Matt and instead stayed home for family night. But during the summer between sophomore and junior year, she realized her relationship was heading for a destination she didn't want so she broke things off with him. Now she's twenty-one and living in Vegas when this story starts.

_**WARNINGS**_  
Other than the alternate universe warning above, this is rated with a big fat M because of my typical sexy Delena times. There will also be cursing and some OOC-ness on the parts of everyone involved. Alternating viewpoints between Elena and Damon. Starts with Elena.

_**SUMMARY**_  
_**AU**_ In a world where the supernatural aspect is known and accepted, Elena Gilbert has always longed to be a vampire but has never met one who would be willing to turn her. But while celebrating her twenty-first birthday in style in her new home of Vegas, she has a little _too_ much to drink. She wakes up the next morning _married_ to a certain infamous blue-eyed vampire. What the _hell?_ _**Damon/Elena**_

* * *

Chapter 1  
Twenty-One and Still Human

I take a long swig of the alcoholic beverage in my hand. Twenty-one is supposed to be an important milestone for humans. It's the age we're legally allowed to drink, for one thing. That doesn't impress me as I've been drinking regularly for years. My first hangover was at fifteen.

I had thought that I'd find a vampire who would be willing to turn me by now. But no. Twenty-one-years-old and still human, that's me. I know that I still have time before the window humans usually make the transition closes. The oldest known vampire in history was in their early fifties, for crying out loud.

But when I decided to move to Vegas after graduating high school, my lifelong best friend and witch Bonnie Bennett's parting gift for me was what could only be a daylight ring. She told me that I would need it before we saw each other again and she wanted to be the one to make my daylight ring. She wouldn't tell me anything about the vision she had about who would turn me or when or even how, saying only that she can't give me the information as it might mess with what Fate has in store for me.

But that was over two years ago, just a few weeks before my nineteenth birthday. Her prophecy still hasn't come true, though the part where we wouldn't see each other again until after my transition seems to be true. We haven't been able to get our schedules to work out for a get-together since I left Mystic Falls.

So, as I was saying, twenty-one and still human. Even my other best friend, Caroline Forbes, has gotten _her_ wish of becoming a vampire. _She_ was sired by none other than the infamous Niklaus Mikaelson because he had fallen in love with her at first meeting. Now she travels the world with him as his eternal mate.

I motion for another drink when I realize the one before me is empty. "Lady, don't you think you've had enough?" the bartender asks.

"I turned twenty-one today," I retort. "Let me celebrate twenty-one years as a human the way I want. Besides, I'm hardly even _tipsy."_

"Get her a drink, I'll take care of her, Rick," a velvety smooth voice comes from the bar stool next to me.

Rick nods to the guy and pours me another drink. I turn to get a look at my champion and am instantly captured by the most captivating blue eyes I've ever looked into. Something about this guy seems familiar, but I'm just drunk enough not to recognize anyone except for those who are closest to me. "Thanks," I say, holding out my hand. "I'm Elena."

"Damon," he introduces himself, capturing my hand and placing a kiss on the back of it.

Something about the name combined with ice blue eyes and raven's wing black hair sends up a warning bell of recognition in my head. But I'm just drunk enough to not head it. As soon as his lips touch the back of my hand, an electric current flows through me from that point of contact. I wonder at that.

"I heard you say you turned twenty-one today," Damon says as I take a swallow of my new glass of bourbon. "You don't seem happy about it."

"Twenty-one and still human when all I've ever wanted was to be a vampire," I say. "What's to be happy about when I don't get my biggest wish?"

He smirks, though what I could have said that was so funny eludes me. "Haven't found anyone willing to turn you yet?" he asks.

"Nope, and I've met plenty of vampires. Hell, one of my childhood best friends is now a vampire and _mated_ to one of the Originals! But I'm still human," I reply.

"Well, maybe you just haven't met the right vampire yet," he says. I fiddle with the ring on my right ring finger, which draws Damon's attention to it. "What are you doing with a vampire's daylight ring?" he asks curiously.

"It's supposed to be _my_ daylight ring when I turn. My other best childhood best friend is a witch and she gave it to me last time we saw each other, saying I would need it before we saw each other again and she wanted to be the one to make it," I reply.

"So you're all prepared, just haven't found someone willing yet, huh?" he asks.

"That about sums it up," I confirm.

I register the change of the song playing to a livelier dance tune. Damon is instantly on his feet and holding his hand out to me. "C'mon, let's dance," he cajoles.

I finish my bourbon and place my hand in his. "Sure, why not? Drinking my problems away doesn't seem to be helping. Maybe I can lose myself on the dance floor for a little while," I say.

He smirks and guides me onto the floor amidst the crush of bodies. It isn't long before he has me laughing my ass off at his seemingly endless supply of witty comments and jokes. We proceed to dance the night away as I proceed to become completely and totally drunk for the first time since my first experience with alcohol.

I get so drunk that I allow Damon to take me out to his car after letting him call me 'sweetheart' on the dance floor. I'm just lucid enough to note it's a 1969 Chevy Camaro and is colored dusky blue.

The rest of the evening is a blur other than something to do with Elvis, Damon, and me somewhere in Vegas and then Damon and I going at it on big bed in some extravagant room, ridding me of my virginity in the process. I feel fangs sink into me at the juncture where my throat meets my left shoulder and recognize the sensation from previous bites. Though no vampire has been willing to turn me before now, I have let several feed from me. I realize Damon is a vampire. I decide to see if he'll let me drink from him by scraping my teeth at the juncture where his left shoulder meets his neck. He simply tilts his head further to the side, granting me silent permission. I sink my teeth in and feast on his rich, sweet blood. This is the first time a vampire has let me feed from them while they fed from me.

Next thing I know, Damon's looking in my eyes, saying something that my brain's too fuzzy with alcohol to comprehend. "You're mine, Elena. Forever _mine,"_ he says. Then I'm enshrouded in sudden darkness.

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Sarah: what do you think happened to Elena? And what do you think that thing with Elvis was? Any guesses? Review and let me know what you think is going on. I'll get the next chapter to you as soon as possible.


	2. Changes

Waking Up in Vegas  
DG32173

Sarah: I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone for the support that has been shown to all my TVD stories, not just this one. I even appreciate you silent readers, those of you who only add my stories to favorites or alerts or add me to author favorites or alerts and even those of you who do none of the above for whatever reason, those who just read my stories and keep coming back for more in a show of silent support. Thanks everyone. I know I keep begging you guys to come out of hiding to let me know what you think, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate your support. Anyways, this chapter starts with Elena again. But you might get a peak into Damon's thoughts. Also, I own the forms a vampire can take outside of the vampire face. Don't steal them.

_**REVIEW REPLIES**_

_Leann Nickerson:_ yep. Here's more.

_Imarifirst:_ Klaus didn't change Elena because he didn't want to. And you can't force a vampire to do something they don't want to. Who's to say Elena didn't _try_ to get the blood of the vampires who fed on her but was rebuked? As I said in the first chapter, she had moved to Vegas, which is almost on the opposite side of the country from her family. Glad you're intrigued. Here's more.

_amazing Aisha:_ this isn't my first fanfic where the supernatural is accepted by the world. It's just the first one I've posted. Glad you like it. Here's the morning after.

_holysalvatores:_ I'm glad. Here's more.

_HoneySexy:_ here's more. Glad you enjoyed it.

_shnicky87:_ yep, they got married. And yep, she's a vampire now. Damon is going to have to work to win her over to the idea of being married to him but as this is a Delena fanfic, you know he'll get to keep the girl. Enjoy the next chapter.

Guest Meghan: glad it seems promising. Here's more.

_Red Reaper88:_ **(laughs)** here's more.

* * *

Chapter 2  
Changes

I groan as I feel every ache in my body upon waking. Even my gums and teeth _hurt._ What hurts the most, however, is my neck. Then I hear a masculine chuckle from very close by. "Took you long enough," a velvety smooth voice says with wicked good humor.

I froze, suddenly aware that I'm completely naked and sexually entangled with a just-as-naked masculine body. I snap my eyes open and am rewarded with a view of a _hot_ masculine chest. What perplexes me is that if I look at any one spot on that chest for more than a split second, I can make out the individual pores in the skin.

"How much did I _drink_ last night?" I whisper. The man just chuckles again and doesn't respond.

I'm almost hesitant to raise my eyes to identify who had been the lucky guy to rid me of my virginity. But I've never been a coward before and I won't allow myself to become one now. I raise my eyes to see that my lover last night had been none other than Damon Salvatore, a vampire notorious for being extraordinarily powerful for being just under a century-and-a-half in age.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he says.

I go to raise my hands to bury my face in them in embarrassment as most of last night comes back to me. But I freeze upon seeing the exquisite gold ring with a heart-shaped sapphire bordered in tiny blue diamonds on my left ring finger. "What the _hell_ happened last night?" I demand, horrified by proof of just how drunk I got last night. Sure, I'll admit to harboring a major crush on Damon Salvatore for as long as I can remember, but _marrying_ him the night I met him? That's just humiliating.

Damon captures my left hand with his and I see a matching gold band on his hand. "A lot has happened in such a short frame of time," he admits. "But for vampires, when you find the one destined for you, that's it. I wasn't going to leave anything to chance. Not _one_ thing."

I suddenly realize that marriage wasn't the _only_ thing he wasn't going to leave to chance as I get an arid, bitter feeling in my throat that had been described to me by Caroline when she described what her craving for blood was like when she was thirsty. I realize with a mixture of joy and shock that I'm now in transition and Damon is my sire. That I don't mind. I've dreamed of becoming a vampire for almost as long as I harbored a crush on Damon. It's the whole 'getting married on first night meeting each other' thing that I'm having trouble swallowing.

Damon reaches behind him to grab something off the nightstand beside this king-sized four poster bed we're in. He hands me a blood bag. "Drink up, sweetheart. It's what you always wanted," he says smugly.

My gaze locks on the blood and I feel my brand new fangs make an appearance in my mouth and I _feel_ the blood flooding into my eyes, dying the whites red, while the veins around my eyes pop up prominently. I know that this is only the mildest form of my new inner vampire appearing for the world to see. My brother's vampire girlfriend, Anna, had shown both of us the truest form of her inner vampire, telling us there are three forms a vampire can take as she did so.

The mildest is just the vampire face, which is all most vampires allow out unless they are severely angered. The second form involves the vamp face but also turns their fingernails to long black claws and reveals the blood-red aura that surrounds every vampire. This is the form that is revealed when a vampire is royally pissed. And the final form includes the second form but also adds massive bat-like wings sprouting from the vampire's back that are _not_ just for show. The final form a vampire can take almost never makes an appearance because vampires very rarely have a need for flight granted by the wings.

I realize that even with all the thoughts racing through my head, not even a second has passed me by. I decide that I'll deal with the marriage issue later. First, I'll complete the full transformation into vampirism. Following my instincts, I rip off the valve of blood bag and use the tube as a straw, draining the blood bag. As I drink the blood, I _feel_ my young Power growing stronger with the life force held within the blood. What surprises me is how _much_ my Power grows. My Power nearly _doubles_ in strength by the time that I have drained the blood bag completely.

Finally, I lower the blood bag, having drained every last drop of blood from it. I use my instincts to force my vampire face back into hiding behind the human face I have worn most of my life. That human face is now a mask to hide the monster that has taken up residence within me when Damon made the decision to turn me.

"Good girl," Damon murmurs.

I check the blood bag and realize that Damon had gotten me the blood of a witch rather than a human to complete my transformation. I recall what Caroline had told me about drinking the blood of the supernatural compared to the blood of humans. She had said that drinking blood from someone from a supernatural race, or even someone with an inactive werewolf gene, always increases the vampire's Power far greater than the blood of a normal human, sometimes even doubling the vampire's Power, depending on the supernatural. Explains why my Power nearly doubled while I was drinking the blood.

"You got me the blood of a witch," I whisper, meeting his eyes and letting him see the confusion in mine.

"Can't let my girl start of her new life on just _human_ blood. Not when witch blood would start you off at even _greater_ Power," he replies with a smirk.

I frown as he calls me his girl. Bits and pieces of last night are slowly making themselves clear to me from behind the haze of alcohol. But what's still hidden behind that haze is how I let him talk me into _marrying_ him within hours of meeting him. I sigh. I know that eventually it will all come back. It always has before, no matter how drunk I had gotten, and I doubt this time would be any different.

I decide to focus on the present circumstances while waiting for my memories to return. "So you somehow got me to agree to marry you and then you obviously turned me while we were in bed together," I start. "What do you want from me now?"

He smirks and traces one finger down my cheek. "It's simple really," he replies. "I want your heart like you already have mine."

I frown at his words. "We haven't even known each other for a full day yet," I protest. "I barely know anything about you other than your reputation. I can't just give my heart away to someone I barely know."

He chuckles. "I figured you'd say something like that when you sobered up," he replies, making me wonder what I had said while I was drunk. "Don't worry. We have _plenty_ of time to get to know each other better. Besides, I have to train you how to be a proper vampire," he says then continues speaking.

"As your sire, it's both my duty and my honor. And no matter what you might think right now, it's all but impossible to dissolve a marriage when at least one participant was a vampire at the time. The _vampire_ has to be willing for the marriage to be dissolved. So you're stuck with me."

I groan and close my eyes. Sure, growing up and hearing tales about Damon had me develop a huge crush on him. My bedroom at my parents' house still has a life-size pinup of him on the wall and my old journals are filled with my dreams of one day being with him. But in none of those dreams had I thought about getting drunk the night I met him and end up marrying him that same night.

I feel his lips brush against mine in a feather-light kiss and open my eyes in time to see him pulling away. "Now, while I'd love a repeat of last night's activities, I can see that won't be happening. So let's get up, get dressed, and get your training started," he says, pulling away from me. I feel something inside of me urging me to obey him and I wonder at that. But I don't disobey.

**Damon**

I'll admit, using the sire connection to force Elena to comply was a tad underhanded. Sure, if she really _wanted_ to, she could fight the sire connection. It's not like a sire bond where the younger vampire has _no_ choice but to do what would make the sire happy. But she doesn't yet understand that for the next three months or so, I'll have limited control over her thanks to the sire connection. That will work in my favor for a bit.

I won't use it to force her into bed with me. That would be just wrong. Besides, I don't want her again until her heart is involved. That taste I had last night will have to suffice until I can win her heart. But I had marked her last night before I turned her, marking her as _mine_ to any supernatural being that comes across her.

That mark will remain in place until its successor, the mating mark between eternally mated vampires, takes its place, even now that she's a vampire. As she grows in her Power, she'll be able to sense the mark eventually. I'm hoping I'll win her heart before she reaches that point.

Given what she said last night after she was drunk, I know it won't take much to get her from merely having a crush on me to her falling completely in love with me. But I also have observed enough to know that her head will fight her heart because her head thinks it takes time to fall in love.

I know that for vampires, love can be instantaneous. I experienced it last night when I walked into my favorite bar on a night when a good friend was working. Only to see a girl who looked like an older version of Katherine seated right next to my favorite stool at the bar. I lost my heart almost instantly. I learned enough about her during the course of the evening to know that this is the kind of love that will last forever.

But Elena will _always_ be mine. I made sure of that with the mark and the marriage. No other supernatural will touch someone who bears this particular mark of a vampire. And few humans will try to get with someone who's already married. And any humans who ignore the wedding band will be unfortunate enough to face my wrath. I _refuse_ to share Elena like I had been forced to share Katherine. That's just not happening.

* * *

Sarah: and I'm going to leave off there. What did everyone think? Drop me a review and let me know how you like it as well as what you might like to see next. You never know, I may get inspired by one of your ideas and incorporate it into the story. If I do, I'll be sure to put a credit section dedicating that scene or concept to you. Until next time.


	3. Training Starts

Waking Up in Vegas  
DG32173

Sarah: and I'm back with Chapter 3. Here are the review replies and then the chapter. Starts with Elena.

_**REVIEW REPLIES**_

_Leann Nickerson:_ glad you thought last chapter was great. I don't _plan_ on this being a very long fanfic. But we never know with the way my muse works. Here's the next chapter.

_holysalvatores:_ I'm glad you love it so much. Here's more.

_Red Reaper88:_ if you want a better explanation of the mark Damon placed on Elena, check out my story _For Lack of a Better Name._ It goes into pretty good detail about what the mark is all about. But, in short, Damon willingly trapped himself with Elena forever in the first chapter, while they were in bed together. Here's the next chapter.

_amazing Aisha:_ yeah, I'd love to trade places with Elena in this story, too. Married to _Damon,_ even if it _is_ on the first night of meeting him. Here's the update.

_kfulmer7:_ glad you enjoyed the first two chapters so much. Here's the next one.

_Jennagilbert7:_ oh, I'm not a fan of spoilers. You'll have to wait and see what happens when it happens. Since the supernatural is _known_ in this universe, there are rules all races have to follow to keep the peace, so to speak. So not even vampires can get _too_ carried away. The rules for vampires will be explained by Damon for Elena as he trains her.

Guest 1 of Chapter 1: I'm glad you loved it. I just wish you had left a name to differentiate you from other guest reviewers. Here's more.

_Nymous44:_ agreed, Elena doesn't know her heart very well, as usual. And of _course_ Damon won't be _begging_ for her love. He's much too cool to resort to begging. He has other plans.

* * *

Chapter 3  
Training Starts

Damon and I both get dressed. I don't bother trying for modesty because he's already seen all of my body while he was ridding me of my virginity last night. Then he leads me out of the master bedroom of what turns out to be a near replica of the Salvatore Boarding House in Mystic Falls. I'm friendly with Damon's distant nephew, Zach Salvatore, and have become such a frequent visitor of the boarding house that I don't even announce myself when I show up anymore, just walking in like I own the place.

Only two rooms of the Boarding House are kept locked from visitors, Damon and Stefan's personal rooms. I know the rest of the Boarding House like the back of my hand. I find that the room Damon and I were in last night is in the same location in this replica as his rooms at the Boarding House. I wonder at that but don't ask.

Damon leads me to the massive library on the first floor, also in the same place as it would be in the Boarding House. If it weren't for the fact that my new vampire senses allow me to clearly hear the hustle and bustle of a typical Vegas morning, I'd swear Damon had somehow transported me to the Salvatore Boarding House.

Once in the library, I take a seat in the only chair in the seating arrangement. I'm still unhappy with him for convincing my drunk self to _marry_ him on first meeting. Damon raises an eyebrow at me that eloquently speaks volumes but takes a seat on the couch nearest me.

"To begin your training, I'm going to _start_ by telling you the most important laws you now have to abide by as a vampire in a world where the supernatural is known by humanity," Damon starts. "The total laws are far greater in number and far more strictly enforced than before The Reveal. But there are only a few that are of importance right now. And you need to know them from the beginning so that you don't accidentally end up breaking one.

"The most important law, and the one that's _most_ fiercely punished if broken, is to _always_ have a human's permission _before_ feeding on them. Supernaturals you feed from _should_ have given permission, but it's not _required_ like with humans. And there is _no_ draining _anyone_ completely of blood except in very specific circumstances. I'll explain those circumstances later.

"Another law is that if a vampire elects to subsist on blood bags, those blood bags _have_ to be gotten from blood banks specifically designated for vampire use. We can get as many or as few as we need, but they _must_ be from those blood banks. Taking blood bags from a normal blood bank can result in a shortage for mortals who need it. Their surplus is _always_ sent to vampire blood banks, so it's not like we'd run out.

"Another important law is that if you find another vampire has what's referred to as 'Ripper' tendencies, you are to track down one of the Originals as soon as possible and report them. The Originals have the ability to _force_ the Ripper through a training regime that will make them safe around mortals. They did that with my brother shortly after the law was laid down and I can tell you it works."

"What are 'Ripper' tendencies?" I ask. "In all my research into vampires, it's not something I've ever come across."

"It's a rare and dangerous condition among vampires that has been discovered to occur only if a certain set of circumstances happen at the time of a vampire's transition," he replies. "It causes the vampire to be completely unable to control themselves when drinking mortal blood. At least mortal blood from humans or supernatural beings. They can subsist, for a time, on animal blood. But it never lasts.

"When a Ripper feeds from a human or supernatural being, they go crazy with bloodlust and rip them apart in an effort to get every last drop of blood. They can never retrain themselves and usually refuse assistance from another vampire, which is why the Originals have to be brought in. As the sires of the five vampire bloodlines, they have abilities that no other vampire has, including the ability to compel a regular vampire if they feel the need. They use _that_ power to force a Ripper into complying with a retraining regime that will inevitably make the Ripper safe," he continues.

"Now, there's one more law you should know before we move on, though it's by no means the last law. This law is strictly enforced, not by other vampires, but by an ancient magic lost to the world today. There is a certain kind of bond that can be created between two consenting vampires, turning them into Eternal Mates."

"I've heard of that," I interrupt. "My friend Caroline shares that bond with Klaus."

He nods. "There's also a precursor to that bond that can be magically placed between a human and a vampire. It's called 'marking'. In both cases, _both_ parties have to be willing or it won't work. If the human who's been 'marked' is turned into a vampire, the 'mark' remains until the two vampires perform a simple ritual that will change it to a mating bond.

"Anyways, both the mating bond and the mark are magically forbidden to be interfered with. No one knows how or why that is so, but _any_ supernatural can sense _both_ bonds. And any supernatural that _ignores_ the bonds gets a mark on their soul that turns them into what is called a bond breaker.

"Bond breakers are magically driven completely mad with equally powerful but opposing desires to both live and die. That madness quickly strips their sanity and even their very identity from them, leaving only the memory of what they had done to get the bond breaker curse placed on them. This also causes vampires to lose use of any daylight jewelry they might have. The curse also causes _all_ supernaturals in range to seek out the bond breaker in an effort to kill them, no matter _how_ gentle the attacking supernatural normally is. The bond breaker curse usually causes the death of the one it lands on within a few months of their try to get between either eternally mated vampires or a vampire and their 'marked' one."

I nod my understanding, though I don't know why he's telling me about this last law since I now find myself stuck with _him_ for eternity because of our marriage that he refuses to allow me out of.

"Any questions?" he asks.

"No," I reply. I find that I can now remember every word he had just said in explaining the laws pretty much verbatim, though I had taken no notes.

"Alright. The other laws will be explained if and when what they cover pops up," he says. "But what I covered already are the major laws. On to the next lesson, curbing the Craving. The Craving is what vampires call our thirst for blood. It's with us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. There is no break from it. It is sated to an extent when we drink blood, but it is _never_ fully satisfied.

"There are multiple ways to curb it between feedings, however. One way is with alcohol. Vampires can consume great quantities of alcohol without getting more than the slightest of buzzes. And our blood has such properties that quickly and efficiently eradicate the alcohol in our system. The same with drugs if the blood we drink is full of drugs. A vampire can only rarely get high or drunk and it is a very short-term effect of consuming unimaginable amounts of alcohol or drug-laced blood.

"Another way to curb the craving between feedings is to consume human food. On a healthy diet of blood, our bodies function almost the same as they had before we made the transition. Our hair and nails still grow, albeit at a much slower rate than normal. We can consume and digest human food. The only real difference is we are eternally trapped at the age we were when we died.

"Yet another way to curb the craving is through distraction, though it doesn't always work as well as the first two methods. That's because our brainpower increased exponentially, just like everything else about us. We can multitask far better than any mortal because we are capable of using nearly ninety percent of our brains at once. Even witches can only use about half their brains at once and they are the only mortals capable of that much brain usage. Humans and werewolves can only use about ten to fifteen percent of their brains at once. Because we can use so much of our brains at once, it's very difficult to distract us from anything. Even witches are more easily distracted than a vampire. So distracting ourselves even from the Craving is very difficult."

I realize that what he's saying must be true. I seem able to focus on multiple things all at once. I can focus on what Damon's telling me as well as the fact that the blood bag he had given me barely touched on my thirst. I can also use part of my brain at the same time to contemplate the pros and cons of allowing this to be a real marriage from the beginning or wait until I've actually fallen in love with him. I know it won't take much to go from crushing on him to being head-over-heals in love with him. And he seems determined to win my heart.

The whole world knows who his sire was, the infamous Katherine Pierce, born Katarina Petrova. I know for a fact I am descended from her. Having come across an article about her online a few years ago that featured pictures of her across the ages, I also know that when I was seventeen, I had looked just like her. Now, at twenty-one, I look like she would have had she not made the transition into vampirism to escape Klaus.

I wonder if the resemblance is what drew Damon in or if it was something else that makes him want my heart as his. But I don't ask that question just yet. I know I'll find out in time. For now, I have to learn all I can about my new life as a vampire. I continue my ruminations while also focusing on what Damon is telling me.

"Do you have any questions?" he asks again. I realize he's giving me a chance to clear up any confusion I might have at the end of each topic. I shake my head 'no'. What questions I have are not related to what he's talking about and, as such, can wait. "Alright, now it's time to show you places where you can go to hunt without worry about having to ask each human for permission to feed on them. There are certain bars that everyone who goes there gives consent the second they cross the threshold for vampires to feed on them. They've been around for centuries, though before The Reveal, they were secret. They're known as Vampire Bars."

"I've been to a few," I interrupt. "One in Richmond and a couple here in Vegas."

"Then you know the rules. Unless put under the protection of a vampire, any human or supernatural is fair game upon setting foot inside. The rules are posted on the front door and in multiple places inside each vampire bar. Any human or supernatural going inside a vampire bar with vervain in their system forfeits their life once it's discovered. They can wear it in their jewelry, but if they have ingested it and go into a vampire bar, they will be guilty of trying to poison a vampire, which The Truce written at the time of The Reveal strictly forbids."

"How did the supernatural races decide to allow The Reveal to happen?" I ask.

"That is a long, in depth story that spans decades of history before The Reveal happened. Even telling just the cliff notes could take several hours. I'll tell you sometime, but not now. Now it's time for your first hunt. After that, we have to take you to get your vampire license."

I nod. "I also have to let my family know about my transition," I remind him.

He nods. "Understandable," he replies. "But first things first. That blood bag would not have satisfied your Craving very much. You need to go on your first hunt. Then we have to get your vampire license. Then you can let everyone in your life know about your transition," he continues, rising from his seat.

I follow his example and follow him outside into the sun, despite my new instincts warning me against going near sunlight. Thanks to the ring Bonnie enchanted for me years ago, I am now a Daywalker. Even in this age of acceptance, there are few vampires in a good enough relationship with a witch to be granted Daylight jewelry, casting most vampires as Nightwalkers.

Now I get a good look at the beautiful classic convertible Damon drives. In my drunken haze last night, all I had gotten was the make and color of it. Now I can see she's in nearly mint condition and runs like a dream. In fact, she's _my_ dream car. I'm going to have to get Damon to let me drive her sometime. I have no idea as to the fate of my own vehicle, as it had been left in a bar's parking lot overnight in downtown Vegas. No way to know if it's been stolen or not until I go back to that bar.

I doubt Damon will let me far from him until he's certain I'm as completely devoted to him as he's made it clear he is to me. I probably won't be able to check on my car or apartment anytime soon.

I wonder what else Damon has in store for me. It's not like I have much choice right now. Damon is my sire. I know that newborns stay with their sires at _least_ three months for training and early development in their Power. For at _least_ the next three months, I'm stuck with him.

I know by his decision to marry me last night that he intends for us to be together forever. Vampires don't enter marriage lightly because a marriage for vampires is eternal. I wonder if he had marked me last night before he turned me, as the precursor to an Eternal Mates bond. I don't know right now and I don't know if there is a way for me to tell without asking him. There is much I still don't know the answer to, though I'm sure all my questions will be answered in time.

* * *

Sarah: this was a _lot_ longer on paper than it turned out to be typed up. **(shrugs)** Oh, well. I'm ending here. Review and tell me what you think. Next chapter tells about Elena's first hunt and the details that go into getting a vampire license. Until next time.


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